Kansas state school board concerned about students vaping

TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education is concerned enough about e-cigarette use among high school and middle school students that it is reviewing the issue.

The 10-member elected board is scheduled to have a presentation on vaping Tuesday, during its regular monthly meeting.

The board plans to get a briefing from a Kansas Department of Health and Environment official who oversees efforts to reduce youth tobacco use and a presentation from the Blue Valley school district in Johnson County about its efforts to reduce vaping.

The federal Food and Drug Administration says e-cigarette use among high school and middle school students nationally jumped 78 percent between 2017 and 2018. The state school board said a 2017 survey showed that more than one-third of high school students had tried e-cigarettes.